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First shot

How is the first shot? How long does it take to start feeling the drug?
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288609 tn?1240096756
I did not feel much for about the 4th week. I noticed fatigue on the 2nd to 3rd day after the shot. I think the Riba rash, rage, anemia and brain fog bother me the most and that takes time to build up. As you will always hear we are all different. My NP said just go on as I always did and try not to project to much. I did have a sense of relief after my first shot and hopefully I will also after my last.
Take care it can be a bumpy road.
Connie

Helpful - 0
9648 tn?1290091207
I had a big reaction to the first shot. My temperature was a gazillion degrees, shakes, hands and feet were icicles. I didn't sleep all that well because of the aching. I probably *could* have worked the next day, but I did run another fever that afternoon/evening. The next two shots I also ran fevers--lower this time and the last shot I had no fever at all.

What I can't understand is all the sneezing I've been doing in the late afternoons.
Helpful - 0
547836 tn?1302832832
i actually expected something *terrible* to happen after my first, but nothing happened and most of it was just anxiety for me and i think it was the anxiety and worry that mostly caused a tiny fever the day after.  that was the only fever i had from a shot as of now and i'm a little over half way through my 48 wks.

but like others have said, everyone is different.  the side effects started to kick in after a month for me.

don't be nervous on your first shot, bc you're probably going to be doing the shot wkly for a while.  it takes some to get used to.  but the shots don't hurt at all.

good luck
Helpful - 0
412873 tn?1329174455
I don't think I feel anything from the shots.  Except for extra fatigue on day 3.

It would probably be nice to take the day off, if it is possible.  Just a precaution as you don't know how you are gonna feel.

For me-the emotions leading up to that first shot were the worst part.  The relief I got from finally getting it over with carried me through the first several weeks.  Yes, the mind is a powerful thing, lol!!

Drink plently of water.  It helps alot.  

Good luck....let us know how it goes.

Isobella
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The best work arrangement would be a flexible one. You'd go in if you're fine but let them know in advance that if you don't show up, it's because you're not feeling well.

I had an awful first shot but by morning, the episode was behind me.  I woke up and made brunch for our house guests. I still was energetic at that point.

In the weeks that followed I gradually became tired and there were no more brunches and just occasional and not very welcome house guests.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I would suggest taking a day or two off after the first shot because you don't know if you'll be one of those that has a reaction to the first shot or not.  I take my shots on Friday night and there's no way I could have worked on Sat or Sun during the first 8 weeks or so and then it seemed to get better.  I work Monday through Friday and now I find that I'm weakest on Tuesday into Wednesday morning but I still go to work.
Helpful - 0
179856 tn?1333547362
I'd definitely make sure I had the next day off........mentally it is very wearing, it's amazing as adults how much the worry and stress alone can zap us.  

Some people find the next day the worst (like me) some people find that they don't feel anything until the 3rd or 4th day.

I wish someone had a definitive answer for you but this much I can tell you.......save any sick day days for later if you can. Chances are you will need them later on much more than the 'day after' unless you work 7 days a week...then I would definitely say take at least that next day off.
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Avatar universal
Should  I plan to take some days off of work after first shot.
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Avatar universal
Just took my 6th shot last night. I have not noticed any side effects that I can link to the actual shot. I felt a little foggy and went through a couple of weeks of feeling negative and irritable. the 2nd through 4th week I felt very lazy and a little out of it. I think, for me, everything I feel is related to the ribaviron. I feel really great now. I take three caps of fish oil every morning and 20mg of prozac. I feel great on tx and I'm really grateful because of all the horror stories you here. Just make sure you eat well, drink water, take your AD's and be positive and the bad days will just be nuissances instead of nightmares. The mind is powerful.

I don't have anything going on that I can point to the shots and say, "oh yeah, I feel this because of the shot". If that's not clear enough, I feel as though I injected water into my stomach. Nothing.

Oh, and it really doesn't hurt at all. I HATE needles. The first shot I was very nervous. Right as I stuck myself, I almost chuckled a little at how pathetic I was being. No instead of jabbing it in, I push into my skin slowly so that I can feel SOMETHING at all when I do it.
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Avatar universal
never felt the first one, took a couple or 3 weeks
Helpful - 0
179856 tn?1333547362
I never had the 'flu' symptoms until about week 30 or so.  Shot night (Friday) I took it at 6pm after work with two tylenol, then took an Ambien about 9pm and I could feel it hitting about 10pm (4 hours) later and would get very lethargic and the Ambien would knock me out and I'd sleep through a lot of it.

I'd rest up on Saturday and Sunday and then go back to work on Mondays for 72 weeks.  Saving up that rest time was crucial for me to be able to continue going through it all. Especially when the anemia hit - all the sleep I could get was needed. The lethargy can be unbelievable even without anemia.

If possible I'd advise making sure you have the next day off so you can see how you are doing.  Personally after shot 1 I think I had made myself a nervous wreck because I slept like the dead for 18 hours straight - never moving once my family said.  After that when I knew it wouldn't be so bad it was different.

Good luck.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It's remarkable how differently people react to the injection. If I were a nurse, I wouldn't know what to tell the patient, other than be ready for several scenarios.

I've had 33 injections so far and only my first one was a doozy. I had the chills and shakes starting about five or six hours after my injection and it lasted for two very long hours. I had taken Tylenol but it didn't seem to help much. What helped me most was my warm wool hat and state-of-the-art heating blanket (a timely gift).

Since then, my injections have been very uneventful and I don't take Tylenol or anything else with them.

Many people seem to report not feeling a thing for their first injection but I wasn't one of them.

Also, most people seem to feel the hit of the interferon three or four days after the injection because that's when it's supposed to max out in your system. That makes sense biochemically but I feel kind of woozy for the first two days after my injection and then have a pretty good week after that.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Bob - Do you mean Pegasys? Experiences vary. Some people, including myself, experience no side effects at all. I only started to experience symptoms after the drugs had been building up in my system for a few weeks.

Other people experience flu-like symptoms on the evening after taking the shot. The standard advice is to take both Tylenol and Advil prior to taking the shot to minimize these flu-like feelings. Like I said, I never experienced them. It's impossible to say whether you will or not.

BTW there was recently a very valuable thread on this board about the best night to plan to take your shot. The old standard advice is to take it Friday night so you have the weekend to recover. However, most people on Pegasys find that their side effects are worst 3-4 days after taking the shot. So if you haven't settled on a date yet, you might consider Wednesday night. That way the worst side effects, if you have them, will fall on the weekend.
Helpful - 0
276730 tn?1327962946
Everyone is different. I didnt feel the effects of the drug till about week 5.
Nothing before. Howeve everyone is so  different with these meds you really cant go on what another person feels.

Sx vary that much.
Wish you well.
Helpful - 0
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